Scored a free Lensbaby kit from my buddy Adrian.  I don't really have occasion to use it much, but hey free is free.  I took it out to Joshua tree on a scorching 114 degree day.  Touching the tripod after about 4 minutes outside the car became an issue, and I got a cactus spine pretty deep in my finger for my troubles, but I can't really complain.  If you have the patience to set up a fixed composition and fiddle with the knobs and locks on a lensbaby, you can get some interesting results.  I really hate having to change out the magnetic aperture rings though.  I wish they could figure out a better system.  I also hate trying to type in this damn template.  For obvious reasons.

It was another amazing road trip with John this summer.  This year we decided to go camping in King's Canyon National Park.  It's a pretty amazing U-shaped canyon with Giant Sequoia forests all around.  Despite only shooting half a roll of 645 before the camera battery died (note to self, always carry extras) and then subsequently losing the roll amidst all Jason's undeveloped stuff, I did get some good shots on the AE-1.  John's misguided attempts to stoke the fire with green branches led to some great pictures and smoking out the entire campground, which made us very popular.  The first night was spent next to a roaring river, the second was mostly spent awake and terrified in the car after reports of bears in the area and hearing strange cracking sounds in the woods nearby.  After our ursine encounter the year before at Convict Lake, I wasn't about to take any chances.

Random cars from the neighborhood.  Jason thinks I'm slightly retarded for refusing to take a picture if there's a post-1990 car in it, but I disagree.  There's just something timeless about old vehicles.  You know, like back when they were actually made of metal.

After living in LA for almost ten years now, I've really come to hate the constantly perfect, cloudless bluebird skies.  I find myself wandering around in the rain on the rare days that we get it, just to see what real weather actually feels like.  It was a good thing I took my AE-1 with me today, because Runyon looked amazing in the fog.  The only problem with walking around in a wet shirt all day is the nipple chafing.  I'll remember to bandage up like a marathon runner next time.

Is it possible for a place to be your muse?  Seems like I always find new stuff to shoot at Jason's.  And before you ask, yes I planned those flares perfectly.  Canon AE-1.